Ore-concentrator.



P. siTFlqG'lm 0M: GONGBNTRATOR. APPLIQATION IILDIDEO. 1I 1913. 1,105,109, Patented July 28, 1914.

5-SHEETS-SEER@1 1.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 28, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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APPLIOATIONXFILED DEO. 1, 1913. 1,105,109.

WITNEssEs A INVENTOR er Sf'erzer v ATTORNEYS.

THE NCRRIS PETERS CU.. PHOTO-LITHC., WASHINGTON. D. C.

P. STENGER.

ORE GONGENTRATOR.

l APPLIUATIOI'I FILED DBU. 1I 1913. 1, 1 05, 1 09. Patented July 28, 1914 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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P. STENGER.

ORE OONGENTRATOR. APPLIGATION FILED mm1, 191e.

1,105,109. Patented July 28, 1914 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES N757@ WM ATTORNEYS,

THE MORRIS PETERS COA. PHOTO-LITHOA, WASHINGTON. D, C.

P. STENGER.

ORE CONGENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 1, 1913. 1, l O5, 1 O9. Patented July 28, 1914;

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

rHE MORRIS PEYERS 60 PHOw-LITHC.. WASHINGTON. D4 tj.;

UNITED sTATits yiairmvT OFFICE.

:PETER STENGER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DEISTER CONCENTRATOR COMPANY, 0F FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

. ORE-GONCENTRATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 28, 1914 Application filed December 1, 1913. Serial No. 804,071. y,

To all wiomit may concern Be it known that I, PETER STENGER, a citizen of the United States, residing `at Fort lVayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ure-Concentrators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ore concentrators and particularly to that form of the same generally known as slime concentrators, in which a plurality of decks or tables are superimposed in a frame for treating slimes, particularly the slimes which are the overflow from settling tanks or the like, the purpose of the treatment being to separate from such slimes as much as possible of the valuable material which is thereafter treatedon other forms of concentratingvtables. The slime is fed simultaneously to all the decks and is permitted to run over the same and the materials which are of sufficient gravity to cling to the surface of the decks aie washed olf at intervals of time.

The object of this invention is to provide a concentrator of the class described with novel means for eectively washing off the several decks or tables at predetermined intervals of time.

In the drawings is illustrated the preferred manner of carrying out the invention in practice, in which- I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a concentrator constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fractional plan view; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the washing devices; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the mechanism for operating the wash water valves; and'Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, in all the iig ures of which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the main frame consists of corner posts 1, end cross bars 2 and side bars 3. Suitably fixed to the frame in an inclined position are a suitable number of concentrating tables 4 which may be as wide as the main frame or they may be narrower than the frame and arranged in pairs. Each table has a wooden floor covered with suitable material such as canvas. At the upper end of each table is a. feed distributing board 5 which delivers the slime pulp alongy the upper end ofthe table. Pulp is delivered through pipes 6a to each distributing table beneath it.

board from a pulp box G conveniently arranged for the purpose.

A water main 7 is suitably supported in the upper part of the ymain frame and adj acent one side thereof. One end of the main is connected to a waterfsupplyv system, the other end being closed. Valve casings 8- are connected to branch pipes 9fwhichy are connected to main 7 at suitable distances apart.` Each casingy has/within it a suitable valve the stem 10 of which projects upwardly from casing 8. yThe Lipper end of the stemty is pivoted. toa lever 11, one end of which lever is provided with afroll'er 12 and the other'end of which is providedv with a suitable counterweight 13. n p n To the lower end of each valve casing 8 is connected a pipe 14; which extends downwardly adjacent the sides of the several ta* bles. The lower end' of each pipe is closed. A series ofpipes 15 is connected at one end to each pipe 11 and extends transversely across the table or tables, one pipe of each series for each table or pair of tables. The

other ends of pipes 15 are closed and are `suitably supported in a bar or bracket 16 which is secured to the main frame. Each pipe 15` is` provided witha suitable number ,of discharge nozzles 17 which are so arranged on the pipe as to discharge water onto the decks beneath them in the same direction as the direction of How of the slime, that is, toward the foot of the table. The nozzles 17 are of such form as to spread the water in a fan-like filmover the deck of the This film of water strikes the surface of the table with considerable force and ywashes the materials down the slope of the table. The first series of noz- :ales Washes the materials toward and to the second' series; the second series of nozzles kdrives them to the third series and so on down the slope until the materials are finally washed-off the tables at the lower end.

rEhe valves in casings 8 are opened in succession by the devices about to be described,

the valve nearest the upper end of the tables being opened first, then each one in succession thereafter.

The valve operating mechanism is as follows: A. shaft 18 is revolubly mounted on themain frame and is provided `with a series of camr wheels or rollers 19 which are secured to it, one cam above each leverll,

the roller 12 on the corresponding lever being in contact With the periphery of the cam. The cams are arranged on the shaft so that when the eccentric portion of one cam is in contact With the roller of the corresponding lever it will actuate said lever to raise the connected valve and permit Water to flow from main7 and branch pipe 9 into the pipe 14 and pipes 15 Which said valve controls, while all the other valves remain on their seats. The preferred arrangement of cams is such that the one nearest the feed end of the tables Will open its valve first. As the roller 12 leaves the eccentric portion of said cam the countervveight 13 onthe end of the lever causes the lever to rock in the opposite direct-ion and to close the valve. At this moment the second cam opens the second valve; then the third cam opens the third valve as the second valve is closed. then the fourth cam opens the fourth valve as the third valve is closed. The intent is that shaft 18 shall be operated at certain intervals of time and then given one or more revolutions. The further intent is that the slime shall be permitted to flow over the several decks for a predetermined period of time Without any Wash Water being delivered onto the decks. During this period of time the mineral values and heavier sandsivill tend to settle to the surface of the decks and to cling thereto. TWhen the allotted period of time has expired the cam shaft is put into motion and the Wash Water Washes off the materials Which have clung tothe deck surfaces.

At the foot of the tables is provided a tilting board 20 upon Which the materials from all the tables fall as they leave the latter. In practice the board is tilted With its outer edge down While the slimes are fed onto the tables Without Wash Water so that the tailings will pass beyond the end of the device. then the Wash Water is applied to the decks board 2O is tilted in the opposite direction so that the materials Washed olf the decks will pass into a suitable receptacle and be saved for future treatment. `This tilting effect is produced by a cam 21 fixed on shaft 18 upon the periphery of which rides a roller 22 carried by lever 23, which lever is pivotally connected to a rod 24, the rod being also pivotally connected to a rod 25 which is se cured to board 2O in such manner that While roller 22 is in contact with the concentric portion of the cam the board will be tilted on its pivotal pins 26 to receive and discharge the Washed materials. When the roller drops into the eccentric portion of the cam the board drops in the opposite direction and remains in such position until the cam again tilts it The cam is necessarily rotated a complete turn and is then at rest since it is secured -to shaft 18 which is driven a complete revolution at predetermined intervals.

While the Wash Water isbeing applied to the decks the supply of pulp may or may not be `cut o. It is not necessary to cut off the supply of pulp as the decks readily take care of the feed of pulp Whether they are being Washed Off or not.

In order that the cam shaft shall be automatic in its operation have provided a clutch and timing mechanism in connection with it which is illustrated particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, and is described as follows:

A gear 27 is loosely mounted on shaft 18 and is provided on oneface with a concentric boss 28 which has notches or recesses 29 in its forward face. This notched boss forms one member of a clutch. The other member 30 of the clutch is slidably secured to the shaft and is provided With tongues adapted to engage in the notches 29 when they are in apposition. A lever 31 is pivoted at one end to a suitable part of the main frame, as bracket 35, and to clutch member 30. A suitable spring 32 is connected to the free end of lever 31 and to the main frame and tends to draw member 30 into contact with boss 28. Member 30 is provided with a peripheral groove 33 into which a bar 34 is adapted to engage. Bar 34 is pivoted near one end to the main frame or to bracket 35 secured thereto, and the extremity is connected to a link 36 which link is also connected to lever 37 of the timing clutch operating device about to be described.

A Worm 38 on a shaft 39 suitably mounted above gear 27 meshes With said gear and a pulley 40 on shaft '39 is driven by a belt leading to a suitable source of power. Gear 27 is therefore driven at all times.

A bar or plate 41 is mounted on the forward face of gear 27, it being secured to the gear by bolts 42 which pass through slots 43 in the plate so as to permit the plate to yield or have a slight oscillation on the gear. Springs 44 are connected to the plate and to the gear Which tend to hold the plate in one position on the gear. A beveled lug 45 projects forwardly from plate41 and is adapted to bear against the side edge of lever 31 or a projection 46 thereon, when the clutch members 28 and 30 are in engagement, for the purpose of forcing them apart when the locking bar 34 is Withdrawn from groove 33 in clutch member 30 by the timing device.

The timing device consists of a suitably mounted gear 47 and on the inner surface of the rim of the gear a roller 48 on the inner end of lever' 37 is adapted to roll. A cam 49 is provided at a suitable pointon the rim over which the roller on lever 37 must travel and by which the lever is rocked to cause locking bar 34 to be disengaged from groove 33 in clutch member 30.

A Worm 50 on shaft 51 meshes vvith'gear 47. A gear 52 on shaft 5l is in mesh With aA pinion 53 on shaft 54 and pulley 55 on make one complete revolution during the.

period of time that it is desired to feed pulp to the decks withoutthe deposit of wash water thereon. Of course gear 27 and its driving worm and pulley are likewise prov portioned so that, when the clutch is thrown in, the gear will cause the cam shaft 181 to make one or more revolutions before the clutch is thrown out.

Vlhen the clutch is thrown out by the beveled lug 45 the lug forces clutch member 30 outwardly a suflicient distance to permit the locking bar 34 to drop into groove 33, this movement of bar 34 being accomplished by weight 56 which is attached to the free end of said bar.

The operation of the device is apparent from the foregoing description. Briefly stated, it is as follows: The pulp is turned on all the tables simultaneously and the power is connected to pulleys 40 and 55, the cam surface on gear 47 of the timing device being in advance of the end oflever 37. The clutch members are therefore disconnected and gear 27 is running idly, and gear 47 is rotating. When the cam surface of gear 47 meets the roller on the end of lever 37 the lever is actuated to raise locking bar 34 thereby permitting spring 32 to connect the two portions of the clutch, the rotation of gear 27 being so timed with respect to the rotation of gear 47 that the recesses in boss 28 on gear 27 are in coincidence with the lugs on member 30 at the moment the cam surface on gear 47 actuates lever 37. /Vhen the clutch is thus thrown in, gear 27 is connected to the cam shaft 18 and said shaft is caused to rotate. The cams on this shaft cause the valves in casings 8 to open in succession as before described whereby the wash water is discharged onto the several decks to wash off' the materials. TWhen the clutch is thrown in, beveled lug 45 on plate 41 has just passed lever 31. As lug 45 again reaches the same point in its travel it bears against projection 46 on lever 31 disconnecting the clutch members, and locking bar 34, which has been riding on the surface of clutch.

member 30, drops into groove 33 as the groove is brought into register with the bar. The cam shaft therefore stops and the pulp continues to flow without the wash water discharge until lever 37 is again actuated by the cam surface on gear 47.

I have found it desirable that the pulp should be fed for several minutes, say ten minutes, between each operation of the valves.

Numerous modifications in details of construction and arrangement of the various parts are obvious to one skilled in the art,

hence, "I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described.l y

Any number of decks may be used and any number of discharge nozzles or any number of sets of nozzles may be used which may be arranged to discharge water onto the f .decks at selected points.

1t will be noted that each branch `pipe 14 with the pipes 15 connected thereto is substantially a manifold through which water is passed to bey discharged onto each deck simultaneously and at a selected point.

lll/'hat l claim is:

1. ln an ore concentrator having a plurality of decks, the combination of ay plurality of manifolds for discharging water onto each deck at selected longitudinally separated points thereon, a water supply main having a connection with e'achmanifold, means in each connection for controlling the flow of water therethrough, and means to operate the controlling means in succession and at predetermined intervals of time.

2. ln an ore concentrator the combination with an inclined deck, of a plurality of fixed water distributers extending transversely of the deck and adapted to discharge wash water onto the deck at selected longitudinally spaced points, and automatically operated means to control the discharge of water from said distributers in succession at predetermined points of time.

3. ln an ore concentrator the combination, with an inclined deck, of a plurality of rows of discharge nozzles extending transversely of the table and adapted to discharge water onto the deck at selected longitudinally separated points, and automatically operated means for controlling lthe discharge of water from said rows of nozzles independently at predetermined po-ints of time, and in order of succession.

4. 1n an ore concentrator the combination with an inclined table deck, of' a series of rows of discharge nozzles arranged transversely of the deck and adapted to discharge water onto the deck at predetermined longitudinally separated points, valves to control the supply of water to each row of nozzles and means to automatically operate the valves independentlyand at predetermined pointsof time,l and in order of succession.

5. ln an ore concentrator having a multiplicity ofvdecks over which materials to be ,y

treated are adaptedy to be passed, the combination of a plurality of wash water means for each deck,`each one of'said means having a source of water supply in common with one said means for each of the other decks, means` to control thek flow of water i into said sources 'of water supply independently, means to actuate the controlling means in succession and at predetermined points of time Whereby Wash Water is discharged onto each deck at a plurality of points in succession, the discharge being simultaneous on each deck at any one selected point. Y

6. ln an ore concentrator having a plurality of inclined table decks, the combination of a plurality of nozzles for each deck arranged to discharge Water onto the same at selected points thereon, means to control the supply of Water to the nozzles, a cam shaft having independent connections to the latter means for operating the same, means to rotate the cam shaft, means to connect the latter means to the shaft at predetermined intervals of time and means to disconnect the same at predetermined intervals of time.

7. In an ore concentrator the combination with an inclined deck, of a plurality of means for discharging wash Water onto the deck at selected po-ints thereon, a Water supply main having an independent connection to each of said means, a valve in each connection for controlling the supply of Water to said means, a revolubly mounted cam shaft having connections With the valves for independently operating` the same, means to drive the cam shaft, means to automatically connect the driving means to the shaft at predetermined points of time and means to disconnect the same at predetermined points of time. l

8. ln an ore concentrator the combination With a plurality of inclined decks, a Water supply main common to all the decks, a series of means arranged above each deck and at selected points down the slopes thereof for discharging Wash Water onto the same, each member of each said series having a connection, in common with one member of each of the other series, With the supply main, valves to control the latter connections independently, a cam shaft operatively connected to the valves for operating the same successively and means operatively connected to the cam shaft for rotating the same at predetermined points of time.

l 9. In an ore concentrator the combination with a plurality of tables mounted one above another, of a Water supply, a plurality of branch pipes having independent connections to the main and extending vertically adjacent one side of the tables, al valve in each connection for controlling the flow of Water from the main into said branch, a plurality of Water discharge means connected to each branch for discharging Water upon each deck at'selected points, a revoluble cam shaft operatively connected to the valves for operating them successively, and means to rotate the cam shaft at predetermined intervals of time comprising a gearloosely mounted on the shaft, means to continuously rotate the gear, a clutch to connect the gear to the shaft, a spring tension lever pivotally connected to one member of the clutch for moving said member into connection With the gear, means on the gear for disconnecting the clutch member from the gear at selected points of time, means to lock the clutch member in the open position and a continuously revoluble cam having operative connections with the locking means for releasing the saine at selected points of time.

10. In an ore concentrator the combination With a plurality of decks, of a main for supplying Wash Water to all the decks, a plurality of manifolds connected to the main, each manifold having means for discharging water onto each deck at a selected point, means independently operative to control the flow of Water from the main into each manifold and means to operate the latter means in succession comprising a shaft having cams thereon, one of each being operatively connected to one of the said controlling means, a gear loosely mounted on the shaft, a clutch slidably mounted on the shaft, a lever pivoted to the clutch, a spring secured to the lever for engaging the clutch and the gear, means on the gear for disengaging the clutch at a predetermined point of time, a locking bar adapted to engage the slidable clutch when disengaged from the gear, a lever operatively connected to the locking bar for releasing the same from the clutch and a revoluble cam to actuate the latter lever at a predetermined point of time.

11. In an ore concentrator the combination with a plurality of fixed inclined tables, means to supply material to be treated to the tables simultaneously, a plurality of Water distributers above each table and adapted to discharge Wash Water onto the surface of said tables at longitudinally separated points, a Water supply main connected to the Water distributers and means to control the flow of Water into the distributors whereby Wash Water is discharged onto each table simultaneously and in order of succession of the distributers.

In Witness whereof l hereunto subscribe my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

PETER STENGER.

Witnesses:

HELEN F. GLENN, ELWIN M. HULsn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve centsveach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

llO 

